City where Matthew Shepard was slain OKs protection for gays, lesbians
Source: Associated Press
The Laramie City Council on Wednesday approved an anti-discrimination ordinance in the college town where Matthew Shepard's slaying 17 years ago triggered nationwide sympathy and brought a reexamination of attitudes toward gays.
The council voted 7 to 2 in favor of the measure to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity in housing, employment and access to public facilities such as restaurants.
Local organizers focused their efforts on Laramie after the Wyoming Legislature repeatedly rejected anti-discrimination bills, most recently early this year. The Laramie Nondiscrimination Task Force presented a draft ordinance to the City Council last summer, founding group member Will Welch said.
... Judy Shepard, his mother, is active in a Denver-based foundation that bears her son's name and focuses on equality issues. I'm thrilled that Laramie's doing it, at the same time sort of saddened that the state of Wyoming can't see fit to do that as well, Shepard told the Associated Press in a telephone interview Wednesday from Washington, D.C. Maybe the rest of Wyoming will understand this is about fellow human beings and not something that's other than what they are.
Read more: http://www.latimes.com/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-laramie-wyo-lgbt-20150513-story.html
TransitJohn
(6,932 posts)I was there for 21 years, including the weird time when Matt was murdered. Long overdue.
xfundy
(5,105 posts)That fact can't be stated enough. They look at us, and other minorities, as "less than" themselves. We are your children. We are your families. It's so obvious it hurts.
Behind the Aegis
(53,823 posts)But I still can't help but to see this as a little sad...
17 years ago
7 to 2
...hopefully, the trend will continue, but it is still painfully slow.
awoke_in_2003
(34,582 posts)that 2 people would vote this way. Luckily, there were enough people to do the right thing.
libodem
(19,288 posts)Good on 'em.